Show us your bicycles!

[Zensō]

Still don't like kick stands On a city bike I just lean appropriately.....

Well, I’m well past the point of needing to race my friends to the coffee shop, and I don’t want to scratch up that beautiful paint, so…

Seriously though, back in the late 90‘s and early 2000’s I ran a popular cycling website that focused on transportation, city, cargo, and folding bikes. We reviewed well over 100 bikes over a 5-year period and for those types of bikes heavy duty kickstands were standard fare. It’s a totally different world than the normal fitness/recreation bicycle use that dominates here in North America.

 

[Chrispy]

City bikes in most every country where bicycles are used for primary transportation have kickstands. It’s like having a parking brake in your car or kickstand for your motorcycle.

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Huh then again I don't cycle in street clothes either....I'm weird.

Well, I’m well past the point of needing to race my friends to the coffee shop, and I don’t want to scratch up that beautiful paint, so…

Seriously though, back in the late 90‘s and early 2000’s I ran a popular cycling website that focused on transportation, city, cargo, and folding bikes. We reviewed well over 100 bikes over a 5-year period and for those types of bikes heavy duty kickstands were standard fare. It’s a totally different world than the normal fitness/recreation bicycle use that dominates here in North America.

It's more a personal preference. I just don't want a kick stand on my nice frame, just detracts from purpose. I haven't had a kick stand on a bike since I was 13 or so myself.

 

[Zensō]

Huh then again I don't cycle in street clothes either....I'm weird.

It's more a personal preference. I just don't want a kick stand on my nice frame, just detracts from purpose. I haven't had a kick stand on a bike since I was 13 or so myself.

I understand. Most of these unusual (to us Americans) bikes that I‘m interested in are designed from the outset to include kickstands, with at least a kickstand plate built into the frame, if not a kickstand included from the builder. These aren’t WalMart bikes, some may be handmade by small builders with price tags beyond carbon racing bikes.

 

[Chrispy]

I understand. Most of these unusual (to us Americans) bikes that I‘m interested in are designed from the outset to include kickstands, with at least a kickstand plate built into the frame, if not a kickstand included from the builder. These aren’t WalMart bikes, some may be handmade by small builders with price tags beyond carbon racing bikes.

Just don't have the need for a kickstand myself....but when I was a kid it was very important!

 

[Blumlein 88]

Hey thanks. I really enjoyed your photos, saw some great parts and the cranks were a new one for me.

Yeah, the Paul stuff is amazing. I’ve been speccing his parts from the early days on my mountain bikes, and then commuters and touring/city bikes over the years. I’m working on a Velo Orange Pass Hunter build for my daughter and I’ll most likely outfit it with the Paul flat mount Klampers.

The bars are the Nitto Losco, designed by Blue Lug as a low-rise version of the Riv designed Bosco bar (low + Bosco = Losco).

The mudguards are actually Honjo, but they’re essentially the same as the Rene Herse (I believe Honjo may make the Rene Herse mudguards?).

Paul Canti Levers:

View attachment 221601

Bar end shifters. I have a set. Had them on a Bianchi carbon fiber framed bike for awhile. A clash of style, but it gave me another ridable bike at the time out of parts I already had.

 

[Zensō]

Just don't have the need for a kickstand myself....but when I was a kid it was very important!

Just for context.. I started racing mountain bikes in the 1980’s on a Cunningham and Ritchey before most people had heard the term “mountain bike”. Rode single track all over the Olympic Peninsula (favorite: Capitol Forest) for years until I moved back to Cali in the early 90’s. Back in those days we never once saw another mountain biker on a trail, only hikers and horseback riders. They were always surprised to see us and thought we were nuts. I’m 60 now and don’t really have an interest in that type of riding anymore, those were fun days though.

Now, I just ride my bike as you described, like I did when I was a kid. To coffee, to get groceries, to meet up with friends for lunch or a ride out to the lake for a swim, and so on. For that kind of riding I find a kickstand quite useful!

 

[Blumlein 88]

Just don't have the need for a kickstand myself....but when I was a kid it was very important!

My first "serious" bike a lug-frame French machine, I leaned it. People kept bumping it over when I was out and about. Got a torn seat, and a big gash in the paint. I saw a super lightweight aluminum drilled, slender kickstand built for racing bikes and I ordered one. Caught lots of flack about it over the years. It never got knocked over again. I think it weighed 6 ounces. It was polished and matched all the other polished aluminum on bikes then. I've never seen another one like it. I used to offer those I rode with a deal. They let me hide 6 ounces on their bike at random times and they tell me if it was on or off. Get it right 5 times in a row and I'd pay $5. Nobody ever took me up on it. Sometimes foolish fads are taking a philosophy too far.

I also left the plastic guard past the largest rear gear on. It likely weighed 1 ounce, but it made sure I never had a chain go too far and chew up my spokes. In theory a bike in good tune doesn't need one. In practice I watched several people chew up their spokes. In one case a big dog ran out chasing the lead rider and the 3rd guy back hit him. Somehow snagged his collar on things and shifted the chain right off into his spokes.

I don't consider having a kickstand a bad idea at all, and no one is making other people have them.

 

[Chrispy]

My first "serious" bike a lug-frame French machine, I leaned it. People kept bumping it over when I was out and about. Got a torn seat, and a big gash in the paint. I saw a super lightweight aluminum drilled, slender kickstand built for racing bikes and I ordered one. Caught lots of flack about it over the years. It never got knocked over again. I think it weighed 6 ounces. It was polished and matched all the other polished aluminum on bikes then. I've never seen another one like it. I used to offer those I rode with a deal. They let me hide 6 ounces on their bike at random times and they tell me if it was on or off. Get it right 5 times in a row and I'd pay $5. Nobody ever took me up on it. Sometimes foolish fads are taking a philosophy too far.

I also left the plastic guard past the largest rear gear on. It likely weighed 1 ounce, but it made sure I never had a chain go too far and chew up my spokes. In theory a bike in good tune doesn't need one. In practice I watched several people chew up their spokes. In one case a big dog ran out chasing the lead rider and the 3rd guy back hit him. Somehow snagged his collar on things and shifted the chain right off into his spokes.

I don't consider having a kickstand a bad idea at all, and no one is making other people have them.

Maybe. I haven't used a kickstand on a bike (and never an add-on) since literally I was 13...so 53 years since.

 

[Chrispy]

Can't see a serious bike having a kick stand myself...ymmv

 

[Zensō]

My first "serious" bike a lug-frame French machine, I leaned it. People kept bumping it over when I was out and about. Got a torn seat, and a big gash in the paint. I saw a super lightweight aluminum drilled, slender kickstand built for racing bikes and I ordered one. Caught lots of flack about it over the years. It never got knocked over again. I think it weighed 6 ounces. It was polished and matched all the other polished aluminum on bikes then. I've never seen another one like it. I used to offer those I rode with a deal. They let me hide 6 ounces on their bike at random times and they tell me if it was on or off. Get it right 5 times in a row and I'd pay $5. Nobody ever took me up on it. Sometimes foolish fads are taking a philosophy too far.

I also left the plastic guard past the largest rear gear on. It likely weighed 1 ounce, but it made sure I never had a chain go too far and chew up my spokes. In theory a bike in good tune doesn't need one. In practice I watched several people chew up their spokes. In one case a big dog ran out chasing the lead rider and the 3rd guy back hit him. Somehow snagged his collar on things and shifted the chain right off into his spokes.

I don't consider having a kickstand a bad idea at all, and no one is making other people have them.

Great story, and agreed. Even if a person has a heavy kickstand, let’s say 1 lb, the kickstand is only 0.55% of a 160 lb rider + 20 lb bicycle. Bicycle weight is highly overrated unless one is racing at the pro level. Better to shave a few pounds off the human engine.

 

[Chrispy]

Great story, and agreed. Even if a person has a heavy kickstand, let’s say 1 lb, the kickstand is only 0.55% of a 160 lb rider + 20 lb bicycle. Bicycle weight is highly overrated unless one is racing at the pro level. Better to shave a few pounds off the human engine.

My bigger issues is the extra gear hanging off and getting caught on trail "features"....just no reason for a kickstand generally in my use in any case....if you find a use, that's something else....

 

[Zensō]

My bigger issues is the extra gear hanging off and getting caught on trail "features"....just no reason for a kickstand generally in my use in any case....if you find a use, that's something else....

I get it. For a recreational trail bike a kickstand doesn’t make any sense at all. A work bike or commuter is a different animal with different needs. Horses for courses, as they say.

 

[Chrispy]

I get it. For a recreational trail bike a kickstand doesn’t make any sense at all. A work bike or commuter is a different animal with different needs. Horses for courses, as they say.

My point is an actual mountain bike used on trails....just a danger to have a kickstand. Only dumb setups I've seen that try and use such.....

 

[Laserjock]

Options are just that..

What’s cool is you don’t have to have one if you don’t want one.

 

[Chrispy]

Options are just that..

What’s cool is you don’t have to have one if you don’t want one.

Maybe, depends on the bike you buy....can be difficult to remove a stupid bike kickstand

 

[Zensō]

My point is an actual mountain bike used on trails....just a danger to have a kickstand. Only dumb setups I've seen that try and use such.....

Yeah, I don’t think anyone is saying a person should have a kickstand on a mountain bike.

 

[Chrispy]

Yeah, I don’t think anyone is saying a person should have a kickstand on a mountain bike.

Then again many call bikes "mountain bikes" that are not trail worthy, barely street worthy often....

 

[Blumlein 88]

Maybe, depends on the bike you buy....can be difficult to remove a stupid bike kickstand

How so? BTW, I agree I wouldn't have one on a MTB.

 

[Chrispy]

How so? BTW, I agree I wouldn't have one on a MTB.

Might need to cut it off with appropriate tools? Can't imagine one on an actual mountain bike...just would create problems.

 

[Zensō]

Then again many call bikes "mountain bikes" that are not trail worthy, barely street worthy often....

We’re not doing that here. We know what mountain bikes are and how they’re used (single track, cross country, downhill, etc.). No kickstands on any of those, we’re 200% in agreement.

My bike, the one that started this discussion about kickstands, is definitely NOT a mountain bike.